The Invention Patent Led by Assoc. Prof. Boran Wu Wins Gold Award at Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions

The exhibition project titled "Non-thermal Drying of Sludge with Recyclable Conditioning Agent," spearheaded by Assoc. Prof. Boran Wu from CESE, secured the Gold Award at the 50th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions. This project introduces a novel concept to enhance sludge dewatering performance through in-situ water crystallization enhancement. By utilizing the chemical driving force of hydrate crystallization reactions, it facilitates the directional migration of water within the sludge from solid interstices to homogeneous crystals. Without altering the chemical compositions of the water and solid phases, this approach transforms the water-solid wetting distribution state into a water-solid phase-separated aggregation state, significantly improving the water-solid separation performance of the sludge. After treatment, the moisture content of the sludge is reduced to below 40 wt.% through plate-and-frame filtration. Moreover, it enables the recycling of gaseous conditioning agents, leaves no chemical residue in the dewatered sludge cake, and consumes only one-sixth of the energy required by traditional thermal drying technologies. Relevant achievements have resulted in the application and granting of six patents, including one U.S. invention patent, and the publication of multiple academic papers in journals such as Water Research.